Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Reading and
Manchester United at Madejski Stadium on Saturday Dec 1 2012.

After seven goals were scored in an extraordinary first half, Manchester United came from behind twice to beat Reading and move back to the top of the table over local rivals City, whom they play on Sunday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have been scoring for fun this season, but also conceding more goals than they would have liked, and the incredible first half at the Madejski Stadium highlighted those aspects of their game.

Having started the game behind City, who moved top of the table on goal difference after a 1-1 draw with Everton, United regained a three-point lead after an enthralling game.

It sets up a fascinating Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, but that game will do well to match the free-scoring spectacular last night.

United had to come from behind to win for the 10th time this season, with Wayne Rooney scoring twice to double his total of Premier League goals and Robin van Persie hitting his 13th of the season and being denied another by a goalline 'clearance’ that was shown later to be over the line.

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But it would be churlish to complain about a goal that was not given in a game where so many were scored.

Ferguson, however, was unimpressed with the shower of goals his team conceded.

He said: “It was the worst we’ve defended all season. We deserved to be battered today and we have to improve.”

The first half was extraordinary. United had gone behind in 13 of their previous 21 games, and did so again when Hal Robson-Kanu gave Reading the lead in the ninth minute.

Jonny Evans made a headed clearance from Jobi McAnuff’s cross, but it was chested down on the right side of the penalty area by Robson-Kanu, who rifled a shot past a startled Anders Lindegaard and into the far corner of the goal.

Reading’s joy lasted just five minutes. United broke quickly, Ashley Young slipped the ball forwards and Anderson hit a first-time shot that flew in at the near post, with Adam Federici culpable.

Within three minutes United were ahead, Rooney scoring from the penalty spot after Jay Tabb pushed over Evans in the penalty area.

But Reading fought back to equalise in the 19th minute when Adam Le Fondre continued his good run of form by heading in Nicky Shorey’s corner kick. Four minutes later Reading regained the lead as the game swung back and forth. Again it was a Shorey corner, and this time it was young defender Sean Morrison who headed in unmarked in the centre of goal.

But there was still time for more, and Rooney drifted to a more central position to score his second — and double his league tally — when he made it 3-3 on the half-hour mark.

Patrice Evra exchanged passes with Young on the left before crossing low towards the penalty spot, where Rooney pounced.

Ferguson then withdrew Rafael Da Silva, who had been booked, and the Brazilian reacted petulantly as he walked to the dugout. But it did not affect United’s flow as Van Persie made it 4-3 in the 34th minute.

Michael Carrick played the ball forward, Rooney flicked it on with his heel, and the Dutch striker, played onside marginally by Shorey, slipped the ball past Federici.

Another marginal decision went against United five minutes before half-time, and cost them yet another goal, when Adrian Mariappa cleared Van Persie’s shot after Federici made a close-range save from substitute Chris Smalling’s header.

Television replays showed the ball had crossed the line, but referee Mark Halsey and his assistants failed to spot it.

But the seven goals scored in the opening 45 minutes equalled a Premier League record, shared by Blackburn v Leeds in 1997 and Derby v Bradford three years later.

It also brought to mind the high-scoring games at the Madejski Stadium of the past few weeks, when Reading lost 7-5 to Arsenal shortly after drew 3-3

with Fulham. The nature of the game also illustrated the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this United side, who are full of goals going forwards but always likely to concede.

Fortunately Van Persie has carried on where he left off with Arsenal last season, scoring freely.

His strike here was his 13th of the season, and he could have added two more midway through the second half.

First he volleyed over the bar when Evra cut the ball back to him close to goal, and a minute later the Dutchman missed a glorious chance by shooting wide after stealing the ball off the hapless Federici, who made a hash of a back-pass from Mariappa.

Ferguson chose to replace him in the 75th minute, sending on Danny Welbeck.

Reading went close to equalising again when Tabb’s rising shot from long range flew just over the bar shortly afterwards.

Reading pushed hard for an equaliser, with Morrison having a header tipped over by Lindegaard in the closing stages, but United held on to move back to the top – and set up their crucial clash with City.